Play delayed in Buick Classic

Europe's top golfers have had their preparations for the US Open thrown into confusion as rain continues to plague the Buick Classic in New York.

Only 57 players in the starting field have managed to finish their second round at the Westchester Country Club course.

Another 70 remain to complete their round while a further 29, including Scotland's Sandy Lyle and Ireland's Richard Coughlan, have withdrawn stating a variety of reasons.

Five European Tour players - England's Lee Westwood, Northern Ireland's Darren Clarke, Welshman Ian Woosnam, Germany's Bernhard Langer and Spain's Jose Maria Olazabal, are competing in New York as an intended stop-off point en route to the US Open, which begins in San Francisco on Thursday.

Half a day's play was lost because of rain on Friday and only three-and-a-half hours of interrupted play was possible on Saturday due to continuous showers sweeping the area.

But there is also the real likelihood of play running into today if rain further disrupts the tournament.

If this is the case then Westwood, who is level par following a three-over-par 74, along with Clarke, at two over, and possibly Olazabal, at three over, will need to stay on in New York.

Nick Faldo is another who will be affected. He carded a one-under 70 to be two over in total but was upset that tour officials allowed play to resume for a second time mid-morning when the course was in no fit shape after a deluge.

First-round leader Kevin Sutherland of America continues to head the event, picking up a shot to move to eight under after seven holes of his second round.